,
F/~JI-Decade 0/ &'Ze
, ,
In.t/. Y. /YI, c'A . 7ra .l?u.PTf .s choot
E~ v. T. B 0 z"V77 e ... /.$)/0
-, The First Decade of the Training School.
By J. T. BOWNE.
This institution was established as a department of the School for Christian Workers in 1885. In 1890 it was called The Young Men's Christian Association Training
School, and was separately incorporated under this name
during that year. The name was changed in 1891 to
International Young Men's Christian Association Train­ing
School.
euller Efforts.
At the close of the international convention of the Young Men's Christian Associations at \'1ashington in 1871, a fcw of the less than twenty employed officers of
the Associations, then known as missionaries, chaplains, superintendents, etc., organized The Association of
General Secretaries of the United States and British Provinces, and recommended the adoption of the title
of general secretary. The annual meetings of this body, held in connection with the international conventions,
were practically normal institu tes. In 1866 there were probably not more than five men
giving their whole time to the supervision of the American Associations, but with the return to normal conditions
after the Civil War, and the erection of buildings ex­pressly for Association work, the number steadily in­creased, so that in the first printed list of such officers in the Year Book for 1876 appear fifty-three names. As
the Associations came to realize that steady aggressive work could not be carried forward year after year without permanent supervisory officers, a demand was created 100
The Auoclatlon Seminar and SDrlngfieid Student.
for such men. The standard of qualifications was
generally low, but where wide-awake business men were connected with the management they soon saw that the representative of Association work in the community must
be a man considerably above the average. When the writer offered himself for the secretaryship in 1877 and asked where he could get some training for
that office, it required serious consideration before it was suggested that he make a tour of several Associations in
the vicinity of New York City, spending a few weeks with each. In 1879 the International Committee undertook to sift out and suggest for this office men whose natural gifts
were supplemented by some practical training in this
particular work. They soon realized that in addition to
practical training, men must be carefully informed as
to the errors of the past, the steps by which ou r societies had reached their usefulness, and the best methods of work employed. An "Outline of Study" was prepared
referring to papers covering as far as possible this entire
field. It was suggested to the candidate that he spend
two weeks in visiting the successful Associations in his
neighborhood, during which time he was to study the
papers in the "Outline," and be tested in the different
branches of work. Harrisburg, Pa., Newburgh, Pough­keepsie,
and Yonkers, N. Y., and Peoria, Ill., were at
various times from 1879 to 1883 used as such testing and training stations. In the three years preceding 1883, sixty-eight candidates thus visited the Newburgh station, several of whom after more than twenty-five years of
successful Association service are still occupying secre­The First Oeade of the 'fraJnln&, School.
taryships of large responsibility. Some improvements were made in this system, and the time of preparation was
lengthened to two months, but it was far from being
satisfactory. The student was often a burden to the busy
secretary whom he visited; few cared to pass judgment upon a man's qualifications on so short an acquaintance, and it was ascerta ined that local committees were unwill­ing
to engage a man unless he had made a decided impres­sion
of his fitness upon some one known to them. Many
urged that the assistant secretaryship should be the prin­cipal sou rce of supply, and its value should by no means be underrated, as it furnished an experience which could
not otherwise be gained; yet the average assistant was
so absorbed in detail work as to find little time for study
or growth. In too many instances promising young men were mere wheels in the machine. !vIallY of the earlier secretaries found their way into the work, as boys are sometimes initiated into the art of swimming, by being thrown in; occasionally one learns to swim by this process,
but the majority drown. Many a promising fellow thus
thmst into the work was in a short time fairly over­whelmed
by it, who might have been taught those prin­ciples which would have enabled him to succeed. The resu lt of such secretarial failure was in many instances disastrous, not only to himself but to the Association.
For years some of the most thoughtful Association men realized the necessity of a tboro system of training.­-
At the Lowdl, Mass., international convention in 1872, Robert Wei den­sail, the senior secretary of the International Committee, urged the estll.b· lishlllent of a school for the training of general secretaries. He continued to advocate it ilt various times thereafter, and in June, 1876, nfter urging it. importance at length, he submitted a plan for sueh on institution, which was flot, however, carried out. 198
The A..oc...Uon Seminar and Sortnlfleld Student.
They saw that if years of preparation were needed to fit for the professions, men could well afford to give as much
time 10 preparation for a life work requiring such a diver­sity
of gifts and involving so much responsibility. They
saw, too, that added to natural gifts and experience in
methods there was needed a thoro knowledge of certain great fonndat,ion truths and principles, which could not be obtained by either the secretary or his assistant in the whirl of office life, and for the lack of which many good men had become discouraged and turned to other work.
Bectnnlnrs In Sprina1le1d.
While the foregoing thoughts were pressing hard upon
the minds of the international and state committees, there
was being worked ont, unknown to them, in the heart of
an aggressive Christian minister in New England-the
Rev. David Allen Reed, a man deeply interested in the development of lay workers for church and Association­a plan which resulted in 1885 in the establishment of the School for Christian Workers at Springfield, Mass. Mr. Reed and his associates saw plainly three things: the great need of trained workers, not only for the Young Men's Christian Association, but for other lines of lay effort; the supply of raw material; and the insufficient opportunities for the training of laymen. They showed
their confidence in the enterprise by the erection of a
substantial brick building 80x105 feet, and four stories in height, fronting on Winchester Park. In addition to the rooms generally provided for school purposes, it had an entire snite of rooms designed for a model Young Men's Christian Association, including a first-class gym­nasium,
and dormitory accommodations for seventy-five The Fln t Deude of the Tl"llinini' School. '99
students. Much skepticism existed even among those rated as friends of the new enterprise. One of the trustees, when the plans for the new building were being prepared, suggested that the walls be so strongly built that if the school failed it would answer for a soap fac­~
ory.
s. C. W . BUILDING, ERECTED 1885·1886, SHOWING OLD CHAPEL.
The first board of trustees consisted of David Allen Reed, president; Rev. Samuel L. Merrill, secretary; Chas. Marsh, treasurer; Dwight L. Moody of Northfield ; J. J. Estey of Brattleboro ; Henry M. Moore and Russell Sturgis, Jr., of Boston; Rev. E. A. Reed, Wm. F. Lee and R. R. McBurney of New York City; Henry S. Lee,
J. H. Appleton, Chas. H. Barrows, E. C. Rogers, C. H. 200
The A.soclfttlon Seminar and Sprlni1leld Student.
Southworth, Noyes W. Fisk, S. F. Chester, H. P. Stone,
E. Porter Dyer, H. M. Brewster, and George W. Tapley of Springfield. To these were added thc following year,
H. J. McCoy of San Francisco, E. P . P latt of Pough­keepsie, Chas. H. Jewell of Hanford, T. DeWitt Cuyler of Philadelphia, Joseph Hardie of Selma, Ala., H. H. Bowman and Chas. F. Meserve of Springfield. Of this
number thirteen are dead, and of the survivors only three. Messrs. D. A. Reed, Barrows and Bowman are still trustees.
The School was opened on the 9th of September, 1885. The new building was not completed until the following month, and in the interval classes were conducted in an old chapel of Hope Church then adjoining and later removed to the rear of the new building, on Sherman street, where it still stands. The classes were arranged on wooden settees with an e.ntire absence of the ordinary accessories of a class room.
The first course covered two years, and included the following subjects: T he Bible, systematic Bible truth, the history of evangelical Christianity, Christian ethics, lives of eminent Chr.istians, evidences of Christianity,
history and methods of Young Men's Christian Associa­tions, Christian missions, the Sunday school and its methods, the inquiry room, outlines of history, elocution, composition, rules for deliberative bodies, vocal music and gymnastics. The instructors for the first year were Rev.
T. H. Hawks, D. D., Rev. T. W. Bishop, Rev. D. A. Reed, Rev. W. H. P. Faunce (now president of Brown University), Rev. E. P. Armstrong, Rev. S. L. Merrill and J. T. Bowne; the last named being the only one still 001
The Flr.t Oecade of the T .... lnlnlt School.
serving in this capacity. Of these, none left a stronger
impression upon the lives of the students from 1885 to 189.. than the Rev. ·Dr. Hawks. During the first year the course in Young Men's Chris­tian
Association work was considerably enlarged, so that it covered the field, objects, history, organization, build­ings, business management, methods of work by depart­ments, work for special classes, and the agencies of super­vision.
For the lack of a text-book this work bad to be presented for several years in lectures, supplemented by a few of the more important publications of the Inter­national
Committee. All students in this course were
required to be members of the Armory Hill Association
which occupied rooms in the school building, to work on one or more of its standing committees, and to attend
the regular sessions of the training class. They were also given practice in prepa ring committee reports, min­utes of meetings, items for the newspapers, including printer's copy and proof reading, and expected to attend during the year at least two conventions. Among the special lecturers this year were Richard C. Morse and
L. D. Wishard of the International Committee; 1. E. Brown, state secretary of Illinois; R. R. McBurney of New York; R. A. Orr of Pittsburg; David McConaughy of Philadelphia, and L. W. Messer of Cambridge.
The first class of Association students numbered four­teen,
four coming from Canada, six from the Eastern
states, one from the South, and three from the West, in­cluding California. Most of this number lived in the School building and took their meals with a boarding club. From the beginning the School was interdenominational 202
The Association Seminar and Sprtn(1leld Student.
and internat.ional in its management and students. No
tuition was charged for the first year. The other ex­penses
for the forty weeks amounted to about $175. r In the spring of 1886 a strenuous effort was made to
clear off the indebtedness on the building, which had cost
with furniture $43,000. Deleg·ates at the Harrisburg
secretaries' conference made liberal pledges. Messrs. McBurney and Morse entered aggressively into a can­vass among the Associations and their friends. Several
state secretaries, notably C. G. Baldwin of Iowa, worked energetically. While not entirely successful, a consider­able
amount was raised. Mr. Reed's efforts to meet the obligations during the first few years, when it is remem­bered
that he was pastor of a large and growing church, were heroic. Mr. McBurney used to repeatedly say of
him, "He's a brave fellow!"
Second Ye.r, 1886-8'.
The Association students of the second year, 1886-87,
numbered eight seniors and thirty-one juniors ; one of the latter, G. Van der Beken, coming from Paris, France,
where he had been for four years the general secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association. A charge of $40 was made this year for tuition, increasing the annual expense for students to about $225.
The first Commencement exercises were held in Hope
Church June 7, 1887, Rev. Graham Taylor, then of Hart­ford Seminary, delivering the address. The Association graduates were C. R. Boucher, B. W. Gillett, P. P. Haven,
F. H. Law, F. H. Marshall, and F. M. Pratt. After twenty-three years, Mr. Boucher is secretary of the Army Association at Fort Moultrie, S. c., and Mr. Gillett secre­The Firs t DeClli1e of tbe Tr.lrunr Scbool.
tary at Haverhill, Mass. Me. Pratt only recently retired from the secretaryship of the Toronto Association. From the outset, the plans and work of the School were cordially commended by Association workers. The
international secretaries' conference at Harrisburg, Pa.,
in 1886, heartily endorsed it. The International Com­mittee,
in their report to the San Francisco international convention in 1887, in referring to it said: "When we
met at Atlanta this School had not been organized . ... • Now, the number of pupils fitting themselves for the secretarial office is thirty-three. Already it has furnished
sixteen secretaries for this service. The system of in­struction
is constantly improving. The School is be­coming
more and more popular, and its usefulness to
our cause can hardly be estimated. It is peculiarly satis­factory to the committee that this enterprise as undertaken
is carried on, and is designed to be carried on as a private enterprise, controlled by its own trustees and faculty, and
not in any way dictated to or influenced by any organi­zation
representing the Associations. Its ho1d upon these societies and upon the young men who seek to serve them must be, therefore, a hold secured and maintained
by reason of its adaptation to the needs of the Associa­tions,
and because it keeps pace with these needs in the jnst~uction of its pupils." Resolutions were passed ex­pressing
hearty appreciation of the efforts of Mr. Reed, and commending the Association department of the School to the Associations for their support, and its training to young men seeking to prepare for the office
of general secretary or gymnasium instructor. It was
also suggested by some of the delegates at that convention ".to .....;-I·t-""
-
004 The Association Seminar IUld Spnnciteld Student.
that the time would probably come when the Associations
would want a school distinctively their own, also that an appropriate name, indicating the object, would be the
Young Men's Christian Association Training School. This name was SOOl1 after applied to the Association de­partment.
1\1 uch anxiety was caused early this year by an out­break of typhoid fever among the students, making it necessary to use the upper floor of the building as a hos­pital.
Ten were prostrated about the same time, some
of the cases being severe and protracted, but owing to the
unceasing care and skill of Dr. Herrick and several trained nurses all recovered. Gymnastics was announced as one of the subjects in
the course of 1885-86. With the completion of the new
gymnasium in March, 1887, George Poole,* a student in the first class, conducted the exercises. The two years
r following, Dr. Joseph T. Herrick taught a brief course in anatomy and physiology. In the spring of 1887 the development of a regular physical training department was begun by the calling to the faculty of Luther H.
,..,Gulick, then about completing a medical course in New
York City, and).Robert J. Roberts, who had been for
many years the popular director of the gymnasium of the
Boston Young Men's Christian Association. Dr. Gulick
came from one of the oldest and best known missionary
families. He saw so clearly the great future of physical training that he turned from the work of a medical mis­sionary to develop it. A summer school was held in July
"Dr. Poole has ~for many years physical director at the T wenty· third Street Branch Young Men's Christian Association, New York City. The First Oecade of the Tnllnlng School.
and August under the direction of the new specialists, largely for men already engaged in the work. The ideals
as set forth in the announcement of this session were so
unlike any ever before made that special attention is called to them: "The aim of the gymnasium department of. the School will be twofold : I., to put into the field
men of Christian character, whose object in going into
the work is to serve Christ; II., to see that these men shall be intelligent teachers, men who shall know what
to do, how to do it, and why it is to be done." Previous
to this the standard of qualifications for this office had been largely skill as acrobats and athletes. Indeed, it was whispered during those days that some who became
famous as pugilists and circus performers received a part of their training in the Association gymnasiums. The first course of study for gymnasium instructors covered
the history of gymnastics, Young Men's Christian Asso­ciation
gymnasium work, the gymnasium, methods of work-religious, scientific and practical. Under scientific
were included anatomy, physiology, hygiene, physical
diagnosis, prescription of exercise, anthropometry and
physics. This was supplemented by daily practical work in the School gymnasium under the direction of Mr. Roberts, and on the committees of the Armory Hill Young Men's Christian Association. The students of those days will recall the emphasis laid upon Mr. Roberts' formula for successful class work-that it should be lisafe, short, easy, beneficial and pleasing."
Third Veu. IS87~88.
With the opening of the third year in September, 1887, the School was entirely free from debt, but so mu ch c1iffi­SlO6 The Anodatl.,. Semlnu and Sprinctldd Student.
culty was experienced in ralsmg the current expenses,
now amounting to $12,500 annually, that Oliver C. Morse, assistant secretary of the New York State Young Men's
Christian Association, was called as financial secretary.
He was also associated with III r. Reed in the teaching of systematic Bible truth and ethics. The Rev. William Chauncey Langdon, D. D., who was
so active in the confederation of the American Associa­tions at the Buffalo Convention in 1854, was among the special lecturers of the year. His addresses proved a
vall1able contribution to Association history and were
published in the Year Book for 1888 as "The Early Story of the Confederation of the Young Men's Christian Asso­ciations."
Applications were made to the School this year for
ninety-seven men, but only twenty-five could be fur­nished.
Students were enrolled from Switzerland and
Armenia. The second Commencement exercises were held in
H ope Church June 1~, 1889, tbe address being delivered by Rev. Edwin F. See, who had recently become general secretary of the Brooklyn Young Men's Christian Asso­ciation.
The resolutions committee of the World's Conference,
held at Stockholm, Sweden, in August, 1888, commented upon the international and thol'o character of the Scbool,
and heartily commended it to young men looking forward
to the service of the Associations. A paper prepared by Dr. Gulick on "Means Employed by the Associations for
the Physical Development of Young ~,ren" was read at this conference, exciting much discussion regarding the The Flnt Decade of the Trajnlng School.
advanced steps proposed. Two of the delegates to this conference from Australia visited the School on their
way home and were enthusiastic over its prospects.
The editor of The Intercollegian~ referring to a visit about this time, said, "We never met a brighter, more earnest, dean-ell t set of students, nor felt more strongly
the growing dignity and value of the Association work
at large."
Fourth Ye.r, 1888..89.
Belfast, Ireland, was represented in the student body.
A one year's course was arranged for college graduates, covering Bible history, systematic Bible truth, exegesis, church history, and the special work of the department
entered.
The expenses ranged from $252 to $280.
The need of a text-book for the course in Association
methods was keenly felt from the beginning. In response to solicitation, a friend gave $1000 toward such a work. In 1886 arrangements were made with Henry
S. Ninde, secretary of the Association at Rome, N. Y., to begin the preparation of a manual to cover the history, organization and methods of
the Young Men's Christian Associations. A fter the
preparation of the manuscript it was very carefully revised by several leading Association men under
the direction of Erskine Uhl of New York. The first part was published by the International Committee in the fall of 1888, and used in the course that year. The labor
of editing the second part was so great that it was not
completed until 1891. While this manual was prepared 008
The A••oc.a.tlon Seminar and Sprlnlfleld Student.
primarily for the School usc, it was regarded as a large
contribution to the Association work in all lands.
Special lectures were given by the following delegates
to the international convention of Young l\[en's Christian
Associations at Philadelphia: Robert McCann, secretary at Bel fast, Ireland; E. Hofer of Zurich, Switzerland;
Robert Burn, secretary at Aldersgate St., London; and Ca rl Fries, national secretary of Sweden,
A photographic exhibit of the work of the School was
made at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, This was
later by request given to the Paris Young Men's Christian
Association.
R. J. Roberts resigned his place in the physical depart­ment in June, to take charge of the gymnasium of the
Utica, N. y,. Association.
At the third Commencement, June 11, the address was delivered by the Rev. W. H. P. Faunce. Prize essays were read by H. C. Thompson on "What kind of physical
exercise has proved most useful in our Association gym­nasiums from the physiological and practical standpoint?/J
and .by J. E. Canfield on "The adaptation of the Young
Men's Christian Association to all classes and conditions of young men." Nine secretarial and two physical stu­dents
were graduated, among the fanner being O. C. Colton, J. W. Cook and C. F. Powlison. The annual expense of $19,486 was paid, with a surplus on hand of $450.
Fifth Year, 1889-90.
Early in the year Mr. Reed resigned his pastorate in order to give his entire time to the presidency of the School. The First Decade of the Training School.
The educational requirements for admission were raised, which while somewhat redl1cing the number of
students, greatly improved the gracle. J. H. McCurdy and F. N. Seerley were among those registered. 'The physical course was enlarged in the history, liter­ature and philosophy of physical education, and in our
examining room the spygmograph and dynamomete r were
used for the first time. An urgent appeal was made for an athletic field and for equipment for aquatics, also {or a library of books on physical education. Some gi fts of
books were reported. Three student helpcrs-~ressrs. Kallenberg, Bel11ics and Prentiss-were associated with
Dr. Gulick.
A call for a secretary was received from Ballarat, Australia, offering a good salary and traveling expenses
to the field.
At the fourth Commencement exercises, June 10, Rev.
George B. Stewart of Harrisburg, Pa., delivered an address on "The Ministry of Laymen." H. D. Dick­son,
now one of the International staff, was among the
graduates. In the spring of 1889 plans were made for the enlarge­ment of the School building to about three times its ori­ginal
size, in order to meet the growing needs. It was
proposed to raise $125,000 for this purpose. The cur­rent
expenses, owing largely to the rapid extension of the physi<..."3i education courses, were increasing about $1000 per year. The new financial claims upon the time of Mr. Morse made it necessa ry for him to drop his teach­ing and give himself entirely to the raising of funds. By
March, $22,000 had been subscribed toward the imilding 210
The AlSoclaUon Scmln..r and Sprtnrfleld Student.
extension, but this canvass interfered so seriously with
the raising of the current expenses that he was compelled
to devote his entire time for the last two months of the
year to this, and even then the year closed with a defi­ciency of about $1200. During the canvass for the new buildings in different parts of the country, Mr. Morse
met with much questioning on the part of Association givers as to whether the time had not come-referred to at the San Francisco Convention three years before-for the Associations to have a school distinctively tbeir own, some refusing to give toward buildings unless this could
be done.
The seriousness of the situation was carefully discussed
at the annual meeting of the School for Christian Work­ers
on June 10, and the trustees by a vote of seventeen to six recommended the separation of the Association de­partment and its incorporation as a distinct school. This was done under the laws of Massachusetts on June 26,
1890, the new corporation taking the name so long borne by the department-"The Young Men's Christian Asso­ciation
Training Schoo1."
[TO aE CONTlNueo.] The First Decade of the Training School.
(CoNTINUED.)
By J. T . Bow:"'E.
Sixth Year, 1890..01.
The year was in many ways a memorable one in the School's history, marking great progress.
The officers of the new corporation were David Allen Reeel, president ; H. B. Chamberlin, vice-president; Arthur G. 'Me.rriam, treasurer; Oliver C. Morse, secre­tary; and an international board of 127 corporators of whom thirty-five were trustees. On account of ill health Mr. Merriam resigned in September, and the office was filled temporarily by the secretary.
Another training school was organized at Chicago in June, 1890, and with a view to harmony of action and closer relations with the Associations, the international convention at Kansas City, l\'lo., in "May, 1891, allthor­ized the International Committee to appoint a sub­committee on normal education to advise with the schools and to nominate a list of men from whom might be chosen their truslees. It was found later that this could not legally be done by the International Commit­tee. On account of the Chicago School having taken a name identical with this! it was decided to precede onr corporate title by "Internationa1.!!
Forty-six students were enrol1ed-twenty-six secre­tarial and twenty physical. Nineteen were graduated. The expenses of the secretarial students ranged from $265 to $325, those of the physical from $344 to $450. 270
The Auodlltlon Seminar and Sprinsrfleld Student.
Three or more hours of class-room work were required
daily. Chapel exercises were at five in the afternoon., The work in the general course was done jointly with that of the School for Christian Workers.
Efforts were made to develop a general reference library, the collection of previous years having gone to the School for Christian Workers.
I At the suggestion of Dr. Gulick a school emblem was adopted, consisting of a triangle with base uppermost, endosing the motto, Ephesians iv. 13. This design was incorporated in the School's official seal.
An alumni association was organized at the Kansas City international convention, holding its first meeting
May 7, 1891. The officers chosen were F. M. Pratt, president; J. W. Cook, Dr. George F. Poole and W. W.
Locher, vice-presidents; and H. M. Fillebrown, secretary­treasurer.
In April the Eastern InterCOllegiate Deputation Con­ference met with the School, greatly deepening the in­terest
in work among students.
With a view principally to aiding men already in the
I service at home and abroad, correspondence courses were begun in both departments. In the secretarial department F. W. Meyer was added as an instructor in charge of the correspondence course. Among the special lecturers were John R. Matt, G. K. Shurtleff, Richard C. Morse, Thomas Cochran and Frank W. Ober. During the year applications were made for eighty-eight secretaries and assistants, but only twenty-three could be furnished. It is interesting to note the growing appreciation of the value of training as The Firat Decade of the Training School. "1
indicated by the average of salaries offered. In 1889 it was $758, in 1890 $767, while this year it was $841. The regular physical department course was greatly
developed, and postgraduate and correspondence courses
were added. The principles underlying these courses
were announced as: "(1) Uttity-man is a unit, body, mind and soul forming one complete whole, neither com­plete
without the other; (2) Symmetry-the best results
can be secured only when man as a whole is symmetri­cally
developed, not merely each natnre with reference to itself, but each nature in relation to the others; (3)
''FU1~ction makes structure'-the doing of a thing tends
to increase the ability to do that thing: thus, doing all­round
exercises, those which demand symmetrical bodies,
tends to produce symmetry." The first of these prin­ciples was incorporated in the emblem already referred to. Dr. F. N. Seerley was added as instructor in applied
physiology and hygiene; James Naismith as instructor in animal meehanics, including physics and anatomy; Dr.
R. A. Clark as instructor in physical examination and prescription, and first aid; A. A. Stagg in training for football and baseball ;-a;;d M. E. Janes in literature of physical education. Fifty per cent of the physical
directors then in the work had received some instruction
in this department. The development of a special col­lection of books on physical education was begun, $141 having been contributed toward it. An unsuccessful
attempt was made to get authority to confer degrees in
this department. Thc summer school was held in two
sections, onc in Lake Geneva, Wis., in July, and the other
in Springfield in August. These schools were practically 272
The A..ocl8t1on Semlnllr .nd Sprlncfleid Student.
discontinued at this time, having largely accomplished
the purpose of their organization, viz. to aid men already
engaged in the service. In his report Dr. Gulick says:
"It seemed wise to limit the attendance at the summer
school almost entirely to those who had already been in
the work of the Associations, exceptions being made only for those who were already under engagement to enter the work, and for those who possess unusual
qualifications for the work. It is believed that this has had a salutary effect on the School. The present demand of the Associations is for men of good ability and thoro
training, and it is impossible to secure the latter in less than the full course of two years." The attendance at the fOUf summer schools was as follows: in 1887, 28 ; ill
1888,51; in 1889, 56; in 1890 (eastern section), 33. The expenses ranged from $;)0 to $65. The publication of
Thc Trianglc, a sixteen-page monthly journal devoted
to normal physical education, was begun by the depart­ment in February, 1891. At the end of the first year the name was changed to Physical Edllcatiou. It was continued for three years under the editorial manage­ment of Dr. Gulick, and did much to disseminate thruout this and other lands the new ideals of physical education for which he stood. In the fall of 1889 some five acres of unimproved ground lying on the south side of Wilbra­ham road were enclosed and laid out as an athletic field, and used until June, 1891.
In the division of the schools, the building with its furnishings went to the School for Christian vVorkers, and the Training School was for a time their tenant. Subsequently the older corporation gave to the new the The First Oec:.de of the Tralnlnr Sf;hool. 07.
equivalent of about $15,000, in recognition of their equitable rights in the building. The property used for athletic grounds being needed for other purposes, the trustees in November, 1890, appointed a committee to look up a new field. On January 9, 1891, this committee, consisting of Messrs. Morse, Gulick and Andrews, re­ported to the corporation that a tract of aboul thirty acres of land lying on the south side of Alden Street and running easterly from Eastern Avenue to the banks of the lake, could be purchased for $18,000. It was shown that the property was finely located, being accessible by both street and steam cars, and that it offered besides ample room for future buildings exceptionally good facilities for the development of gymnastics, athletics and aquatics. Its purchase was authorized, and before the close of the school year in June, $10,000 had been sub­scribed by the citizens of Springfield towards it. The first suggestion to purchase this property is only one of the many things for which the School is indebted to its good friend, Henry S. Lee. This purcbase put at rest the fears that had been expressed by some at the time of the separation lest the Training School should be removed from Springfield. A building and grounds
committee was appointed, and steps were at once taken to enclose and thoroly equip six acres of the new grounds
for athletic purposes, which with the purchase of boats, etc., cost about $5,000. T he following minute from the books of the newly appointed building committee, dated
June 9, 1891, indicating their vision of the future, is in­teresting after the lapse of nineteen years: "Voted to recommend the erection of school buildings as soon as 274
The Association Seminar and Springfield Student.
funds can be provided, roughly estimated as follows: donnitory building, $20,000; recitation hall, $15,000; library, $10,000; gymnasium, $.10,000; furnishings for the four, $25,000; making a tot~1 of $100,000."
The current expenses for the year were $17,93·1.
Great difficulty was experienced in securing this amollnt, owing in part to the financial depression beginning to prevail in some parts of the country, and to the special effort for the purchase of the new grounds, and there
was a slight deficit at the end of the year.
A student loan fund was reported, amounting to $634,
of which $500 had been given by H. B. Silliman of Troy,
N. Y.
The fifth commencement exercises were held in Hope
Church on June 10. Eleven secretarial and eight physical students were graduated, among the latter
Alonzo A. Stagg. The class day exercises, including the planting of a class tree and the erection of a Hsenior class fence" on the new grounds at the COiller of Eastern
Avenue and Alden Street, were duly observed. Henry
S. Lee gave his usual complimentary dinner to the gradu­ating
class at the l\1assaso it House. Beginning with 1888, H~1:r. Lee's dinner," given regularly, was regarded
by every gradllate as one of the memorable occasions of
his school life. 1\[r. Lee was always at his best when
taking the pa rt of a host. and those who have participated
can never forget this rollicking-good time before bidding
"Good bye to Old Springfield."
Owing to the pressure of other enterprises, President
Reed resigned his office with the close of the year. An
appreciation expressed on his retirement may well be The Flrlt Dec.ade of the Tralnlnr Scbool.
repeated: "To David Allen Reed belongs the honor at having founded the first Association Training School, and at a time when the need of such a school had already become deeply felt in all parts of the country, while yet the way to its establishment had seemed barred. To
~1r. Reed's alertness in recognizing this need; to his
promptness in responding to it; to his cheerful courage and persistency, when others had little interest and less faith in its accomplishment, is largely due, under God's blessing, the successful establishment of this institution; and for this the Associations in this and other lands to which the School's helpful influence has been extended, will ever owe him a debt of gratitude." Mr. Reed has
continued ever since a trustee.
Seventh Ye_r, 1891-9Z.
The officers were Henry S. Lee, president; H. B. Chamberlin, vice-president; George D. Chamberlain,
treasurer, and O. C. Morse, corresponding secretary. Charles Marsh, a trustee from the beginning and
treasurer from 1885 to 1890, died early in 1892.
Thirty-nine students were enrolled in the regular courses-twenty-three secretarial and sixteen physical. During its six years' work the School had helped to
train one out of every five secretaries in Canada, one out of every eight in the United States, and more than fifty per cent of the physical directors employed by Associa­tions in the United States.
The student body attended the Massachusetts state
convention and the international secretaries' conference
at Providence, R. 1. In connection with the latter a special exhibit of the School's work was made. 27& The A..odatloct Seminar and Sprtncfleld Student.
Class rooms and offices were again rented in the Christian Workers' building! and the general course in
Bible history, exegesis and church history was carried on jointly with that institution.
Rev. S. L. Merrill, who had been instructor in rhetoric, logic, and Christian biography, resigned in February. The trustees expressed "hearty and grateful apprecia­tion of his long and faithful service," which dated from 1885. James Naismith and Dr. R. A. Clark, who last year taught in the physical course, were this year in­structors in the general course, the former teaching Bible study by books and Christian ethics, and the latter rhetoric and vocal music. Dr. A. T. Halsted was added to the physical staff as instructor in physical examina­tions,
gymnastic therapeutics and department corre­spondence cou rse. A standing committee on instruction
was appointed by the trustees to have general oversight of courses and the employment of instructors. I n the secretarial department the correspondence
course was in charge of F. W. Meyer; there were en­rolled,
twenty-six students. The course was confined ex­clusively to those who were already engaged in some branch of the secretaryship, and who found it practically impossible to take up the regular course, Nineteen of
the number were secretaries and seven assistants, one of
the former serving in Paris. Sixty-five applications
were made for secretaries, but only eleven could be
furnished. Among the special lecturers were W, Hi~d Smith, traveling secretary of the English National Council, and Thomas K. Cree of the International Com­mittee.
The Flnt Oec:ade 01 the Tr.lnlnl" School.
In the physical department a ten days' conference on physical training was held in June, in the place of the
summer school of the four preceding years. tiThe
results were most satisfactory. Unifo rm nomenclature
covering the whole of the physical department work was suggested for the Associations, and the outline of an extended series of gymnastic drills was prepared. The
opinion was generally expressed that this was the most
important and significant meeting in connection with the
physical department of Association work ever held." Twelve sludents engaged in the department correspond­ence
course. The postgraduate course was discontinued.
Under the auspices of the department A. A. Stagg
delivered a series of lectures on "The Modern Athlete"
to Associations as far west as Ohio. Dr. Seerley took( charge of the athletic grounds at Camp Wannamassa,
N. ].. during the summer of 1892. A department circular letter was made very helpful to graduates and
former students of the regular courses, keeping them in
touch with each other and the recent work of the School.
An aquatic equipment, consisting of two four-oared,
working boats, onc four-oared gig, two double sculls, one
single gig) one single shell) two birch-bark canoes) one
sailing canoe and one light rowboat, was purchased at I an expense of $750. These were used on the Connecticut
River.
The alumni association) organized last year \vith eighteen members) now reported eighty-one.
The Buckingham Literary Society was organized, with
W. H. Davis president and R. P. Kaighn secretary.
Twenty-two active members were reported. 278
The AnOdatlon Seminar and Spring1ldd Student.
In February, 1892, The Internatio.wl Training School
Notes, a monthly octavo of eight pages, F. W. Meyer,
editor, was started as a School papcr. It proved a valu­able
medium of communication with the alumni and friends. In 1897, in a new form, the name was changed
to The Association O ...t/ook and Training School Notes,
and aga in in October, 1901, to The Associa.lion Seminar, and in January, 1909, in its seventeenth volume, it was changed to THE ASSOCIATION SEMINAR AND SPRINGFIELD STUDENT.
The general library, started last year with fourteen
volumes, had through the gifts of alumni and friends in­creased
to 315 volumes, Among the principal givers were Frank H . Marshall, '87, Mrs. T. L. Byington and Richard C. Morse.
Of the $23,000 needed for the new grounds and present equipment, all had been paid save $3700. Among the generous givers to this fund during the year were John
H. Converse of Philadelphia, Chas. B. Grant of Summit,
N. J., R. R. McBurney of New York, and Alanson Trask
o f Brooklyn. An encouraging beginning was made in
securing subscriptions for two of the proposed buildings.
The alumni association proposed to erect at an estimated
expense of $37,000 the dormitory which was to hc called "The Alumni Building," and $19,220 was subscribed for this purpose.
It was estimated that the gymnasium building would cost $18,000, and Preston B. Keith of Campello, Mass.,
one of the trustees, agreed to be onc of three to give this
amount, "if two other friends could be found to join him The Flr.t Decade 01 the Training Sc.hool.
and still others would provide the dormitory." Rowland Hazard of Peacedale, R. r., seconded Mr. Keith's offer.
The current expenses were $18,576, and notwithstand­ing a most aggressive effort on the part of Mr. Morse, the year closed with a deficit of $2375, which added to the shortage of last year brought the total up to $2992.
On account of the international secretaries' conference at Providence on 'M'ay 26, the commencement exercises were held the day before, and special inducernent was
offered to delegates en route to stop over. The graduat­ing
exercises were held in the First Baptist Church,
General O. O. Howard delivering the address, and W. H.
Davis of the graduating class reading an essay on "The Association as an Educator." Seven secretarial and
seven physical students were graduated, G. S. Ishikawa of Tokyo being among the former. A new feature of the
closing exercises was the commencement <..linner for trustees, alwnni and invited guests, with a view to awakening a deeper and more intelligent interest in the
work of the School. It was prepared and served by the
woman's auxiliaries of the Central and Armory Hill As­Sociations.
The class day exercises were held on the new
athletic grounds.
Eighth Year, 1892-9J.
Henry S. Lee resigned the presidency in June, 1892, but it was not until the following March that it was accepted and Charles H. Barrows chosen to slIcceed him. How deeply he had endeared himself to his associates is indicated by the following minute: "The Board of Trustees desire to place upon their minutes an expression of their heartfelt and grateful appreciation of the in­2BO The Asaoel.Uon Seminar-and Sprlna1'ldd Student.
valuable service tendered by Henry S. Lee as president of this institution. By his faithful, disinterested and pains­taking
oversight, by his affectionate kindly intercourse
with the students, and by his helpful counsel and confer­ence
with his associates in faculty, board and corporation:
he has endeared himself to all friends of young men. We
greatly value his continued friendship a.s a member of the management of the School, and rejoice in his unselfish and indispensable cooperation."
Thru the kindness of President Lee an arrangement was made whereby both offices and dormitories were
furnished, without expense to the School, in the Win­chester Park Building recently erectcd on the easterly side of the Christian Workers' building. The rental of rOO111S
to some forty students made a very welcome addition to the income. Fifty-six students were enrolled in the regular courses­twenty-
four secretarial and thirty-two physical. In the
correspondence courses were thirty-sevcn-twcllty-fivc
secretarial and twelve physical.
Thru the aid of a few friends and without any expense
to the School, a new course in practical Christian
sociology was offered, the object being "first, to acquaint
the Association worker with the nature and extent of the
social problems of the age, especially such problems as
will most concern him in his special field of work; second, to suggest the nature and use of those principles and forces which may be brought to the solution of these
problems." About the close of the year Rev. Hanford M.
Burr was appointed as instructor.
F. \to..T• l\Ieyer having resigned the charge of the secre­281
The First Dec.de of the Tralnlnc School.
tarial correspondence course and the editorship of the Noles in September, to take the secretaryship of the local Association, Charles F. Powlison, T. S. '89, of Phila­delphia was called to succeed him. Mr. Meyer still re­tained
the oversight of "applied committee work" in the
regular course. Mr. Powlison was also appointed libra­rian of the School in December.
In the regular course of the secretarial department, the following were among the special lecturers : Robinson Souttar, president of the Association at Oxford, England;
H. P. Andersen, George B. Hodge, Wm. D. Murray and
S. A. Taggart of the International Committee; and G. A. Warburton and G. A. Hall of the New York State Com­mittee. The Armory Hill branch of the local Associal
tion removed in November to new rooms in the vVinches­ter Park building, where their secretary, James Vinson, cooperated hearti ly in directing the juniors in practical work. The seniors engaged principally in work at the
Central branch. Increased opportunities offered for en­gaging in district and deputation visitation. The de­partment students attended the Massachusetts and New
York conventions, and Mr. Powlison represented the
School at the New England secretaries' conference and the New Jersey convention. In connection with the
studies in educational work, the seniors had practical
illustrations in industrial subjects at the Springfield Manual Training School. In the physical department, in harmony with the sug­gestions
made at the last summer's conference, the gym­nastic instruction was reorganized upon a basis which it
was believed would greatly increase its efficiency. The 2B2 The AuodaUon Seminar and Sprlncfield Student.
athletic work was to be similarly reorganized. By a con­densation
of the correspondence course it was hoped that
the students might be able to cover it in two instead of three years. The difficulty of helping those who found it
impossible to give more than one year to preparation, in connection with the regular two years' course, was be­coming increasingly apparent. Attention was ca11ed to
the widespread and rapid introduction of basket ball, which had its origin in the School thru Mr. Naismith. Athletic clubs and schools as well as Associations were enthusiastic over it. Dr. Gulick called attention to six
important contributions which he believed the department had made to physical training:
(1) "The making of the physical department of the
Associations a definitely evangelistic as \vell as evan­gelical
agency.
(2) "The introduction of and making prominent the idea of all-round athletics as represented by the pentath­lon, which is now the accepted basis of Association de­velopment
along athletic lines. .
(3)
"The successful introduction and development of gymnastic games, particularly basket ball, and the showing of the relationship of such work to the broad aims of physical training.
(4)
"The measurement system -that has been adopted by thc Associations.
(5)
"The development and introduction into the As­sociations
of a suitable scheme of educational gymnastics.
(6) "The dcvelopment of the position of physical director from that of merely a teacher into that of an The PInt Oec.de of the Tnlnlng School.
organizer and director as well." He adds: "This kind of work and <the following out of this policy involve far
more than mere routine teaching in the class room. They involve time and effort spent in the investigation and extension of the subject."
Considerable interest was shown in the general library, $175 being contributed to the book fund, of which $104 came from "The Winchester Entertainers." The col­lection was thoroly classified and catalogd, and under the direction of Librarian Powlison became very helpful. Among the important accessions were sets of Poole's
Index to Periodicals and General Literature, the Britan­nica and Appleton's encyclopedias. Under the leadership of Frank Mahan, '93, "The
Winchester Entertainers," otherwise known as liThe Automatic Warblers/' were organized, and furnished
much entertainment for the School and vicinity. They were also very helpful in building up the general library.
D. C. Stephens, '94, and others, organized a glee club which did some good vocal training and cooperated with uThe Warblers" in several of their entertainments.
Much interest was developed in the extension of As­sociation work at home and abroad thru the lecture of
S. A. Taggart and correspondence with some of the foreign alumni. Upwards of $60 was contributed
towards an "Extension Fund."
In response to an application to admit young women candidates for the secretaryship of the Young Women's
Christian Association to the School's courses, the trustees on account of the nature of the courses voted that "it is undesirable to admit women." 284
The Auoc&.Uon Seminar and Springfield Student.
The Earl of Aberdeen, in referring in England to the
importan ce of training for the secretaryship, said:
"There is a college at Springfield, Mass., which exists specially for the training of secretaries of Young Men's
Christian Associations. This may explain, humanly
speaking, a great deal of the success of the American
institutions: they have recognized the enormous im­portance of securing opportunities for men to be traineci for this specially responsible post of secreta ry."
President Barrows reported: HFinancially the past year has been the most prosperous yet experienced, inas­much as the receipts for the ten months before the annual meeting are morc than ever before and bear a larger proportion to the annual expenses, which have them­selves somewhat increased." Notwithstanding this, the
way was not yet clear to begin work on the proposed buildings. The balance due on the land fund last year remained practically unchanged. The fund for the dor­mitory had been increased to $~1,929 out of the $38,000 needed. The subscriptions of Mrs. Frederick Billings and Benjamin Thaw toward the land and dormitory funds were $.~OOO each, while S. B. Harbison, Russell Sturgis and Erskine U hl gave $500 each. The third
person to meet the conditions of the gymnasium fund, as
referred to last year, had not yet been found. Plans for
the buildings were prepared, but when bids were rece ived
it was disheartening to learn that they far exceeded the
previous estimates. A beginning was made toward a
greatly needed endowment in January, 1893, by a bequest from the late Horace Smith, of $5000. During the fol­lowing
sixteen years both the School and its students The Flr. t Decade of the Tralnlnr School.
received generous sums from the residue of the estate
of this public spirited benefactor.
The current expenses for the year were $19,494, which was paid, and a small payment made on the deficit reported last year. The secretary reported that "i n view of the fact that during the past year between $43,000 and $44,000 has been raised for the per­manent property interests of the School, and almost en­tirely from the contributors to the School's current sup­port, and in view of the financial stringency that has of late prevailed and has noticeably affected the gifts that might have been made to the School's support, I think we
may regard the situation as, all things considered, a hope­ful
one." The brave work and cheering words of Mr. Morse during the many discollragemcnts of this year can never be forgotten by his associates. George D. Baker, '90, assisted the financial secretary for about half the
year, and was successful in making some additions to the list of new givers.
Application was made to the local representatives of the national government for the privileges of boating and bathing in the lake, but little progress was made.
The baccalaureate service was held in Trinity Metho­dist Episcopal Church, Rev. Dr. Burnham preaching the sermon. Mr. Lee's dinner to the class of '93 at the Massasoit House was attended also by the class of '94
and a few friends; the occasion was a very happy one.
Some twenty-nine students entered the pentathlon con­test on the annual field day and made some good records; Loring of '94, who scored 321 points, received the Inter­national Committee's bronze medal and the School's gold !0186 The A..oelatlon Seminar and Springlleld Student.
medal, and Ross, '94, and Archibald, '93, received each the School's silver medal. Class day was duly observed with Hildner as orator and Mahan as historian; Day's sonnets were loudly applauded, and the trip in Dr.
Gulick's "triangular flying machine" was greatly enjoyed. The graduating class numbered nine secretarial and six
physical students. The commencement address was by Rev. David J. Burrell, D. D. Frank Mahan read an essay on "The Development of the General Secretary­ship," and Harvey L. Smith one on "The Evolution of
the Physical Directorship." The commencement dinner
was given in the new rooms of the Armory Hill Associa­tion, and was participated in by eighty-two alumni and guests. Midnight visits to the homes of the faculty closed the year.
{To DE CoNTINUED.] Volume XVIII., No. 6
MARCH,1910
The Association Seminar and Springfield Student
Published monthly during tbe School Yenr by the Ioternationfl! Young .Men's Christian Associntlon Training School, Springfield, Mass.. F.
N. Secrloy, Editor. Subscription price, One DolinI' per annum. FIfteen cents per single copy. Entered January 1, 1909, ns second-clflss matler, Post Office at Springfield, MasSo, Aet of Congress of March 8, J879. I. A. Richnrd80u, Manager.
The First Decade of the Training School.
(CONCLUDED.)
By J. T . BOWNE.
Ninth Year, 1893-04.
June 6, 1894, was the fiftieth anniversary of the organi­zation of the London Young l\1:en's Christian Association, and the Associations of all lands joined it in a great Jubi­lee Celebration in that city June 1 to 7, on the occasion of the Ninth World's Conference. Messrs. Meye r, Powlison and Bowne represented the School on that memorable occasion, and made a pictorial exhibit of its work.
The officers of last year were continued. In December
H. B. Chamberlin resigned the vice-presidency, and was succeeded by Preston B. Keith of Campello, Mass. 822
The AuocMiUon Seminar and SDrtnl(fleld Student.
1n the secretarial department the difficulty in securing funds at the beginning of the school year prevented the
attendance of several who had been accepted, and at times during the year anxiety regarding the same matter almost
unfitted some of the best students for work. But for the timely help of our friend Henry S. Lee, the numbers
would have been seriously cut down; thru his help there was an increase of twenty-five per cent over last year. Among the special lecturers were W. D. Murray, S. A.
Taggart, L. D. Wishard, George B. Hodge and C. J. Hicks of the International Committee; and George A. Hall and Sumner F. Dudley of the New York Sta te Com­mittee.
Increased emphasis was laid upon the import­ance of work with the local and near-by Associations,
such work counting upon the grade of the students. In no previous year did the School exert so marked an
influence upon the Christian Hfe of Springfield and vicin­)
ity. The students and the local Association were greatly helped thru the investigations of the social science club, an outgrowth of 1\1r. Burr's course in sociology. There was an unltsual interest in efforts for the extension of Association work at home and abroad and, notwithstand­ing the financial stringency, nearly every student gave systematically to this object. The graduating class of the physical department !l UI11­bered seventeen. liOn account of the very considerablc amount of time dcmanded by football, the essential rough­ness of the game, the amount of energy demanded from those who play it, and other minor considerations, it was decided to attempt the development of a game which might furnish for the School, as well as for the Associa­The First Decade of the Training School. ...
tions, opportunity for the exercise of the same manly qualities which are exh ibited in football, and yet which might not be open to the very serious objections which have just been referred to." The outcome was a game entitled "Team-ball" which it was hoped would soon ..,/
reach the popularity out-of-doors that basketball had in­doors. In December, 1893, the trustees advocated the ~ training of physical directors for college gymnasiums.
Largely in appreciation of the help received from the growing library, the senior class added some $200 worth of new reference books. The literary societies were re­organized
and called the Langdon and the Brainerd, after the distinguished Association leaders bearing those names. 1. V. Cobleigh was president of the former and
F. L. Sibley of the latter. At the suggestion of Mr. Burr in closing the course in sociology, a "Social Science Club" .. was organized, meeting weekly. Their investigations into how and where the young men of our cities live, what they do, etc., revealed many surprising things and indi­cated to the investigators how they Inight become ac­quainted with their fields of work and adapt the various agencies of the Association to the needs of all classes and conditions of young men. D. L. Rogers was president. .,/ The Utopia and Rugby boarding clubs, with thirty-seven _ and twenty-five members respectively, furnished very sat­isfactory board at $2.50 per week. The class of '9'l was divided into four circles of King's Sons, meeting weekly.
The glee club numbered forty members and met weekly -­under the leadership of Dr. Gulick. In locating the gymnasium and dormitory buildings, the undesirability of having the School's grounds com­v
IJ24 The A!lloclaUon Seminar and Sprlna1leld Stlldent.
.; pletely divided by the New York & New England Rail­road
became very apparent; and in May, 1894, an ar­rangement
was made by which all the land of the School lying on the south side of Alden Street between Eastern
Avenue and the railroad, was exchanged for a tract of about the same area lying on thc north side of Alden
and bounded west by the railroad, north by Baxter Ave­nue
and east by \Voodbine Avenue. On account of the difference in value, the School received a bonus of some
$:3000, thru which it was able to payoff its entire mort­gage
and have upwards of $500 for the further improve­oF
ment of the property. In February, Benjamin Thaw of .; Pittsburg gave the fOllrth $GOOO needed to secure the $18,000 already subscribed by Messrs. Keith, Hopkins
and Hazard for the erection of the long sought and greatly needed gymnasium building. It was a day of great rejoicing for the School and its friends when on
the twenty-second of ~'lay they laid the corner stone of the first building ever erected "solely for the training of
'.. those who are to be directors and promoters of Christian physical culture." The collection of subscriptions for the dormitory building fund, mainly thru the alumni, reached about $4000. In the name of the class of '94, $500 was on the sixth of June-Jubilee Day-deposited in the Institution for Savings to be devoted to the fur­nishing of a reception room in the donl1itory building, to be known as "The Jubilee Room." In April the School received $,;00 from the estate of Mrs. Sophronia Day of Springfield. In October, 1893, the financial stress of the times presseu so hard that the instructors voluntarily made a The First Decade or the TralnlnSt School. ,..
reduction of their salaries fr0111 that time until January I, of frol11 ten to forty per cent-amounting to upwards of
$1100, and also asked of the instruction committee if it v/ would not be possible to reduce the teaching force. After
expressing their appreciation of the spirit shown, the committee took the following action : ((Resolved, that
in view of the diminished financial support of the School,
the committee has considered the possibility of reducing the teaching force, but sees no point at which the course of instruction can be materially curtailed without detri­ment to the School itself, or without infringing llpon the
School's obligations to its pupils, and for the present, and
until the outlook is even more serious, the committee is not ready to recommend a reduction in the curriculum, or in the number of teachers."
Mr. Morse tclls the story of the financial struggle o~ the year as follows : "For three years the School has carricd a deficit of nearly $!500. In view of the panicky condition of the business world last summer and fall, it
was felt that the utmost of our hope would be realized
if the expenses incident to the School's work during the year just clos ing could be met. Rig id economy was practiced by the heads of departments, and unusual gen­erosity was shown, in the gifts of some of the School's friends towards its support, but in spite of this and of the most strenuous efforts to raise the needed funds, less
than $12,000 out of a required $1"1,000 was raised in,eleven months, and the first of the present month (Junc) found the School confronted with the problem of raising $5121 more in order to cover its expenses for the year. In the light of all past experience this seemed like an 826 The A..oclatJon Seminar and Sprtnrt'leld Student.
impossible task. But relying upon the blessing of God with whom nothing is too hard, a very special effort was begun to obtain in groups of conditional subscriptions the sum of $5000." In twenty days $3651 was pledged and about the close of the month the current expenses of the year were paid in full, tho it necessitated a second
appeal that year to some of the "friends in need."
Jubilee Day, June 6, was duly celebrated in the new ath­[etic park by the "Jubilee Class," graduating that year.
E. M. Worth delivered an address on "The Past and Pres­ent of Association Work," and W. J. McCleery one on, "The Future of Association Work." A letter from George Williams, the founder of the London Association in 1844,
to the graduating class was read, awakening great interest
and enthusiasm. The annual pentathlon contest was held June 15. The work done was the best yet witnessed on
the new field. There were twenty-six competitors, and
of these two received gold medals, eight silver and eleven bronze. These were the first gold medals given by the International Committee. Durand of '95, who scored 444 points out of a possible 500, made the 100 yard dash in 10 2-5 seconds, pole-vaulted ten feet, and ran the mile
in four minutes and forty-seven seconds, securing 312
points in those events. Eighty guests participated in
Mr. Lee's annual dinner at the Massasoit HOllse, and declared it "the best yet." In place of the baccalaureate sermon of other years, Fred S. Goodman of the New York State Committee conducted a fellowship meeting in the new gymnasium. Class day exercises were con­ducted on the new athletic grounds, where J. E. Badger delivered the oration. Rudolph Horner announced that The FIrat Decade of the Tralnlnlt Sc.hool.
827
while the " Golden books" sent to the class by Sir George
Williams of London in commemoration of "]ubilee Year" " had not arrived, a cylinder containing a phonographic message had; this was about fonr minutes in delivery and was received with great enthusiasm. The Com­mencement diMer \~'as served at noon in the chapel of
Hope Church, abont 125 students, alumni and friends participating. The after-dinner address by George A. Warburton of New York on "The Claim of the Local
Association Upon the Training School" was one of the
best things of the day. The graduating exercises in the evening were in the Highland Baptist Church, William
P. St. John, president of the Mercantile National Bank of New York, delivering the address. D. L. Rogers read
an essay on uThe Association's Opportunity in Its Edu­cational Department," and Frank Holman one on "The
Intellectual Growth of the Physical Director." Eleven
secretarial and seventeen physical students were grad­uated.
Tenth Year, 1804·0-'.
The thirty-first international convention of the Amer­ican
Associations was held in Springfield May 8 to 12,
being the first of these meetings held in New England
for twenty-three years. It was at the international coo­vention
held in Lowcll in 1872 that Robert Weidensall had expressed the belief that a school for the training of Association officers would soon be called for. The dele­gates to the Springfield convention saw how far this prophecy had been fulfilled. The headquarters were in • the new building of the Springfield Association, costing upwards of $130,000, which had been opened only a few 828 The Association Seminar and SDrfng-fleld Studenl.
weeks previous. Three hundred and twenty-two Asso­ciations were represented by 798 delegates and corre­sponding
members, and the homes of Springfield freely
offered entertainment to all who would accept it. For the first time hundreds of these Association workers were
( brought into direct contact with the School. During the
convention, the corner stone of the long-delayed donni­tory
building was laid, the whole body of delegates being
present. The widening influence of the School's work was indi­cated
by the fact that during the two preceding years the
proportion of secretaries it had furnished the American Associations from its students, had increased from one in ten to more than one in nine, while the number of secreta ries and physical directors together who had been trained here was twenty per cent of the total number, or
one in five. The Massachusetts and Rhode Island state
committee reported that out of the 10·1: secretaries and physical directors employed in those two states thirty-six, or more than one third, had been trained at the Schoo1.
Much time was given during the winter by the faculty and instruction committee to a very thoro revision of the curriculum, a general outline of which was announced
as follows : The Bible. A general study of the Bible ; what it is,
its authority, what it contains and how to use it.
Mall. A general study of the physical, mental and
moral nature and relationships of man, including physiol­ogy,
physiology of exercise, hygiene, personal purity, first
aid to the injured, massage, gymnastic therapeu tics, anthropometry, physical measurements and examination, The First Decade of the Training School.
prescription of exercise, physiological psychology, ethics, sociology, pedagogy, etc.
Association Work. The field, obj ects, history, organi­zation, home, methods-by departments, supervision and extension.
Practice. Including athletics, gymnastics and shop work, varied in time according to the needs of the <.1iffer­ent departments; also committee work in the local Asso­cia tions.
One result of the curriculum revIsion was increasing evidence of the need of an extension of the regular course to three years.
To the Bible course was added this year a series of
studies on "The Life of Christ," in charge of James Mc­Conaughy, of Mount Hermon, IVIass. With a view to the training of educational directors, a department of industrial training was organized, and D. F. Graham of Springfield, 0., was called as superintendent and in­structor
in "The Theory and ·Practicc of Industrial Edu­cation."
The course in Christian sociology introduced
last year under the direction of H. M. Burr was regarded
a great success; he was continued this year as instructor in HMan and His Relationships." James Naismith's work this year covered HMan as an Individual."
The offices and class rooms were this year divided
between the Winchester Park building and the new gym­nasium,
necessitating a considerable loss of time in tran­sit-
at least half an hour for each trip.
The shtdents numbered forty-nine, twenty-four secre­tarial and twenty-five physical; twenty-one were seniors
and twenty-eight juniors. Twenty-five per cent of the 830
The Alloclatlon Seminar and Sprlnrfleld Student.
whole number were from Canada. Germany, Ireland
and Italy were also represented. The first two and a hali days at the opening of the
year were devoted to a series of practical lectures to the
student body by members of the faculty, on such subjects
as economizing time, attention, memory training, making
tbe best use of tbe library, abstracting and note taking,
classifying material for work, our relation to outside workl etc. Exceptional opportunities wefe offered for practical work outside the regular courses, at thirteen deputation
meetings within two hours of Springfield; at the district
conference at Northampton in April; at the international convention in Springfield and the international confer­ence
of employed officers at Hartford, in May; and above all in the different departments of work at the new build­ing of the local Association.
The School was represented at the British secretaries'
conference at Margate, England, immediately after the Jubilee Conference in London, by J. H. Edwards, '90, Paul Theis, '91, M. B. Rideout, '93, and Messrs. Powlison and Bowne of the faculty.
The World's Student Conference at Northfield during the summer was attended by two members of the faculty
and nine students.
The School should ever be thankful for the love and loyalty of its alumni. They have done much to increase the number of students, and have rendered substantial
aid with the current expenses and property interests.
Some fifty were welcomed back during the international
convention in May. The officers of the Alumni Associa­The Flnt Decade of the Tralnlnl' School.
tion this year were E. M. Aiken, '88, president, and Geo.
E. Day, '93, secretary-treasurer. During the Christmas holidays a metropolitan chapter was organized, the mem­bership
being confined to alumni within fifty miles of New York City.
Among the general lecturers during the year were Dr. G. Stanley Hall, Rev. Dr. P. S. Maxam, Dr. E. M. Hartwell, Robert A. Woods and Glarles T. Kissam. Among the special lecturers on Association topics were Secretaries Hodge, Olandl and Eastman of the Inter­national Committee, L. L. Doggett, state secretary of Ohio, and Dr. J. H. McCurdy, physical director, Twenty­third Street branch, New York City.
Several changes in the faculty took place during the year. Dr. R. A. Clark went to the University of Ne­braska as instructor in physiology and physiology of exercise, Dr. A. T. Halsted became physical director of the local Association, and James Naismith left to engage in medical studies. George D. Baker, '90, who rendered valuable service as assistant to the financial secretary for a year and a half, left in July to enter the sec retaryship
of the ~{uscatine, Iowa, Association. After a trial of fOUf years, the correspondence courses in the secretarial and physical departments were discon­tinued
at the end of this year, the results not justifying the elTort required to carry them on. The rapid development of Association work, the in­creased
requirements of its leaders, and the addition from time to timc of new subjects to the courses, made
it so evident that justice could no longer be done within
the limits of two years, that the executive and instruction
881
88'Z The Alloc:I.Uon Seminar end Sprlnlfleld Student.
committees, to ,""hom the trustees at their December meet­ing had referred the matter, concluded to lengthen the regular course to three years, beginning with the eleventh
year, in September, 1895. .
The secretarial department received sixty-seven appli ­cations for help in securing secretaries as compared with
thirty-nine the year previous, but was able to supply only
twelve. The superintendent of the department by con­sent of the trustees gave his whole time for the two weeks preceding the international convention to preparatory work for it.
During the great convention an exhibit of the physical department work of the American Associations was given in the new gymnasium and on the athletic field, under the direction of Dr. Gulick and other instructors.
It did much to show to the visiting delegates what the School was doing in physical training. A valuable addi­tion
was made to the equipment of thc physical depart­ment
by a series of books to illustrate the teaching of physiology and histology, also by two life-size paintings after "The Athlete," by Roth, showing all the superficial muscles of the human body.
On the first day of January, D. F. Graham began his work as superintendent of the new industrial education department. "fhe work for the remainder of the year was confined largely to giving the stuclents of all the departments a broad look over the eclucational field of the Associations, especially along industrial lines, with a view to helping the mechanic class which it was esti­mated constituted about sixty per cent of the young men of the community. Thru the gift of $1000 from Mrs. The First Decade of the Training School.
E. S. Woods, and gifts of machinery and liberal dis­counts
on machinery by manufacturers, shops for the
working of wood and metal were temporarily fitted up
in the basement of the new gymnasium by Supt!rintendent
Graham and the students. It was hoped that these shops might also provide a means of partial financial support
for a limited number of students.
The value of the reference library was greatly increased by opening an adjoining room for study purposes. The officers of the Social Science Club were W. B.
Durand, president, I. V. Cobleigh, vice-president, and
E. D. 1\1onroc, secretary-treasurer.
The new gymnasium was formally opened and dedi­cated on October 20, 18g4, and the occasion made a rcd letter day in the School's history. A plain bronze tablet at the left of the entrance told the story of its erection as follows: "Erected in the interest of Normal Christian
Physical Training. The gift to the School of Preston
B. Keith, Campello, Mass. ; Rowland Hazard, Peace Dale,
R. 1.; Charles A. Hopkins, Boston, Mass. ; Benjamin Thaw, Pittsburg, Pa. Completed August 15, 1894."
Two of the donors, :Messrs. Hazard and Keith, were
present. Mr. Hazard formally presented the building to the School, and Mr. Keith congratulated the faculty upon the realization of their long-cherished hope. Dr.
Lucien C. vVarner of New York, member oi the Inter­national Committee and chairman of the New York state committee, after speaking of what this particular gym­nasium stood for, on behalf of the International Commit­tee representing over 1200 American Associations and
of the New York state committee, thanked the donors for their gift and for the influence it would exert upon 8M The AlSocl_Uon Seminar _nd Sl)rinrfieJd Stude"t.
the broadening work of the gymnasia of the entire land.
The principal address was by Dr. G. Stanley Hall, presi­dent of Clark University, who after speaking of the place
and importance of physical training, congratulated the
School upon the completion of this "Temple of Hygeia."
Many alumni and friends were present. The annual repo rt states: "So keenly was the need of a dormitory
felt, that the trustees at their December (189~) meeting,
voted in spite of the hard times and the possible danger to the current expense fund, to push forward the dormi­tory enterprise. Accordingly this was done, and by the
cz first of June $20,000 in cash or in subscriptions payable by September 1, had been received, and ground was
broken for this all important building June 5." I n August, 1894, a residence lot on the north side of
Alden Street, nearly opposite the gymnasium, was sold
to Dr. Gulick.
The current expenses werc $18,908. The income all this account as compared with last year, showed a falling
off in rent, tuition, and donations of $8213. Owing la rgely to the general financi al depression sti ll prevailing
thruout the country, it was the most trying year that the
School had experienced.
The ninth Commenccme nt exercises were held ill the
hall of the new Association building, on the evening of June 19, Rev. Frank Russell, D. D., of Bridgeport de­livering
the address. Graduation essays were read by
Joseph M. Dudley on "The Railroad Work of the Young
Men's Christian Association," and by \Valter B. Russcll on "Light versus Heavy Weights in the Developmcnt of :Muscle." Twenty students were g raduated-twelve sec­reta
rial and eight physical. The class day exercises
were held on the morning of the same day on the athletic
grounds, 1. V. Cobleigh reading the class history, C. A.
Martin the prophecy, and E. P . Ruggles giving the charge
to the class of '96.
(THE END.)

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

,
F/~JI-Decade 0/ &'Ze
, ,
In.t/. Y. /YI, c'A . 7ra .l?u.PTf .s choot
E~ v. T. B 0 z"V77 e ... /.$)/0
-, The First Decade of the Training School.
By J. T. BOWNE.
This institution was established as a department of the School for Christian Workers in 1885. In 1890 it was called The Young Men's Christian Association Training
School, and was separately incorporated under this name
during that year. The name was changed in 1891 to
International Young Men's Christian Association Train­ing
School.
euller Efforts.
At the close of the international convention of the Young Men's Christian Associations at \'1ashington in 1871, a fcw of the less than twenty employed officers of
the Associations, then known as missionaries, chaplains, superintendents, etc., organized The Association of
General Secretaries of the United States and British Provinces, and recommended the adoption of the title
of general secretary. The annual meetings of this body, held in connection with the international conventions,
were practically normal institu tes. In 1866 there were probably not more than five men
giving their whole time to the supervision of the American Associations, but with the return to normal conditions
after the Civil War, and the erection of buildings ex­pressly for Association work, the number steadily in­creased, so that in the first printed list of such officers in the Year Book for 1876 appear fifty-three names. As
the Associations came to realize that steady aggressive work could not be carried forward year after year without permanent supervisory officers, a demand was created 100
The Auoclatlon Seminar and SDrlngfieid Student.
for such men. The standard of qualifications was
generally low, but where wide-awake business men were connected with the management they soon saw that the representative of Association work in the community must
be a man considerably above the average. When the writer offered himself for the secretaryship in 1877 and asked where he could get some training for
that office, it required serious consideration before it was suggested that he make a tour of several Associations in
the vicinity of New York City, spending a few weeks with each. In 1879 the International Committee undertook to sift out and suggest for this office men whose natural gifts
were supplemented by some practical training in this
particular work. They soon realized that in addition to
practical training, men must be carefully informed as
to the errors of the past, the steps by which ou r societies had reached their usefulness, and the best methods of work employed. An "Outline of Study" was prepared
referring to papers covering as far as possible this entire
field. It was suggested to the candidate that he spend
two weeks in visiting the successful Associations in his
neighborhood, during which time he was to study the
papers in the "Outline," and be tested in the different
branches of work. Harrisburg, Pa., Newburgh, Pough­keepsie,
and Yonkers, N. Y., and Peoria, Ill., were at
various times from 1879 to 1883 used as such testing and training stations. In the three years preceding 1883, sixty-eight candidates thus visited the Newburgh station, several of whom after more than twenty-five years of
successful Association service are still occupying secre­The First Oeade of the 'fraJnln&, School.
taryships of large responsibility. Some improvements were made in this system, and the time of preparation was
lengthened to two months, but it was far from being
satisfactory. The student was often a burden to the busy
secretary whom he visited; few cared to pass judgment upon a man's qualifications on so short an acquaintance, and it was ascerta ined that local committees were unwill­ing
to engage a man unless he had made a decided impres­sion
of his fitness upon some one known to them. Many
urged that the assistant secretaryship should be the prin­cipal sou rce of supply, and its value should by no means be underrated, as it furnished an experience which could
not otherwise be gained; yet the average assistant was
so absorbed in detail work as to find little time for study
or growth. In too many instances promising young men were mere wheels in the machine. !vIallY of the earlier secretaries found their way into the work, as boys are sometimes initiated into the art of swimming, by being thrown in; occasionally one learns to swim by this process,
but the majority drown. Many a promising fellow thus
thmst into the work was in a short time fairly over­whelmed
by it, who might have been taught those prin­ciples which would have enabled him to succeed. The resu lt of such secretarial failure was in many instances disastrous, not only to himself but to the Association.
For years some of the most thoughtful Association men realized the necessity of a tboro system of training.­-
At the Lowdl, Mass., international convention in 1872, Robert Wei den­sail, the senior secretary of the International Committee, urged the estll.b· lishlllent of a school for the training of general secretaries. He continued to advocate it ilt various times thereafter, and in June, 1876, nfter urging it. importance at length, he submitted a plan for sueh on institution, which was flot, however, carried out. 198
The A..oc...Uon Seminar and Sortnlfleld Student.
They saw that if years of preparation were needed to fit for the professions, men could well afford to give as much
time 10 preparation for a life work requiring such a diver­sity
of gifts and involving so much responsibility. They
saw, too, that added to natural gifts and experience in
methods there was needed a thoro knowledge of certain great fonndat,ion truths and principles, which could not be obtained by either the secretary or his assistant in the whirl of office life, and for the lack of which many good men had become discouraged and turned to other work.
Bectnnlnrs In Sprina1le1d.
While the foregoing thoughts were pressing hard upon
the minds of the international and state committees, there
was being worked ont, unknown to them, in the heart of
an aggressive Christian minister in New England-the
Rev. David Allen Reed, a man deeply interested in the development of lay workers for church and Association­a plan which resulted in 1885 in the establishment of the School for Christian Workers at Springfield, Mass. Mr. Reed and his associates saw plainly three things: the great need of trained workers, not only for the Young Men's Christian Association, but for other lines of lay effort; the supply of raw material; and the insufficient opportunities for the training of laymen. They showed
their confidence in the enterprise by the erection of a
substantial brick building 80x105 feet, and four stories in height, fronting on Winchester Park. In addition to the rooms generally provided for school purposes, it had an entire snite of rooms designed for a model Young Men's Christian Association, including a first-class gym­nasium,
and dormitory accommodations for seventy-five The Fln t Deude of the Tl"llinini' School. '99
students. Much skepticism existed even among those rated as friends of the new enterprise. One of the trustees, when the plans for the new building were being prepared, suggested that the walls be so strongly built that if the school failed it would answer for a soap fac­~
ory.
s. C. W . BUILDING, ERECTED 1885·1886, SHOWING OLD CHAPEL.
The first board of trustees consisted of David Allen Reed, president; Rev. Samuel L. Merrill, secretary; Chas. Marsh, treasurer; Dwight L. Moody of Northfield ; J. J. Estey of Brattleboro ; Henry M. Moore and Russell Sturgis, Jr., of Boston; Rev. E. A. Reed, Wm. F. Lee and R. R. McBurney of New York City; Henry S. Lee,
J. H. Appleton, Chas. H. Barrows, E. C. Rogers, C. H. 200
The A.soclfttlon Seminar and Sprlni1leld Student.
Southworth, Noyes W. Fisk, S. F. Chester, H. P. Stone,
E. Porter Dyer, H. M. Brewster, and George W. Tapley of Springfield. To these were added thc following year,
H. J. McCoy of San Francisco, E. P . P latt of Pough­keepsie, Chas. H. Jewell of Hanford, T. DeWitt Cuyler of Philadelphia, Joseph Hardie of Selma, Ala., H. H. Bowman and Chas. F. Meserve of Springfield. Of this
number thirteen are dead, and of the survivors only three. Messrs. D. A. Reed, Barrows and Bowman are still trustees.
The School was opened on the 9th of September, 1885. The new building was not completed until the following month, and in the interval classes were conducted in an old chapel of Hope Church then adjoining and later removed to the rear of the new building, on Sherman street, where it still stands. The classes were arranged on wooden settees with an e.ntire absence of the ordinary accessories of a class room.
The first course covered two years, and included the following subjects: T he Bible, systematic Bible truth, the history of evangelical Christianity, Christian ethics, lives of eminent Chr.istians, evidences of Christianity,
history and methods of Young Men's Christian Associa­tions, Christian missions, the Sunday school and its methods, the inquiry room, outlines of history, elocution, composition, rules for deliberative bodies, vocal music and gymnastics. The instructors for the first year were Rev.
T. H. Hawks, D. D., Rev. T. W. Bishop, Rev. D. A. Reed, Rev. W. H. P. Faunce (now president of Brown University), Rev. E. P. Armstrong, Rev. S. L. Merrill and J. T. Bowne; the last named being the only one still 001
The Flr.t Oecade of the T .... lnlnlt School.
serving in this capacity. Of these, none left a stronger
impression upon the lives of the students from 1885 to 189.. than the Rev. ·Dr. Hawks. During the first year the course in Young Men's Chris­tian
Association work was considerably enlarged, so that it covered the field, objects, history, organization, build­ings, business management, methods of work by depart­ments, work for special classes, and the agencies of super­vision.
For the lack of a text-book this work bad to be presented for several years in lectures, supplemented by a few of the more important publications of the Inter­national
Committee. All students in this course were
required to be members of the Armory Hill Association
which occupied rooms in the school building, to work on one or more of its standing committees, and to attend
the regular sessions of the training class. They were also given practice in prepa ring committee reports, min­utes of meetings, items for the newspapers, including printer's copy and proof reading, and expected to attend during the year at least two conventions. Among the special lecturers this year were Richard C. Morse and
L. D. Wishard of the International Committee; 1. E. Brown, state secretary of Illinois; R. R. McBurney of New York; R. A. Orr of Pittsburg; David McConaughy of Philadelphia, and L. W. Messer of Cambridge.
The first class of Association students numbered four­teen,
four coming from Canada, six from the Eastern
states, one from the South, and three from the West, in­cluding California. Most of this number lived in the School building and took their meals with a boarding club. From the beginning the School was interdenominational 202
The Association Seminar and Sprtn(1leld Student.
and internat.ional in its management and students. No
tuition was charged for the first year. The other ex­penses
for the forty weeks amounted to about $175. r In the spring of 1886 a strenuous effort was made to
clear off the indebtedness on the building, which had cost
with furniture $43,000. Deleg·ates at the Harrisburg
secretaries' conference made liberal pledges. Messrs. McBurney and Morse entered aggressively into a can­vass among the Associations and their friends. Several
state secretaries, notably C. G. Baldwin of Iowa, worked energetically. While not entirely successful, a consider­able
amount was raised. Mr. Reed's efforts to meet the obligations during the first few years, when it is remem­bered
that he was pastor of a large and growing church, were heroic. Mr. McBurney used to repeatedly say of
him, "He's a brave fellow!"
Second Ye.r, 1886-8'.
The Association students of the second year, 1886-87,
numbered eight seniors and thirty-one juniors ; one of the latter, G. Van der Beken, coming from Paris, France,
where he had been for four years the general secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association. A charge of $40 was made this year for tuition, increasing the annual expense for students to about $225.
The first Commencement exercises were held in Hope
Church June 7, 1887, Rev. Graham Taylor, then of Hart­ford Seminary, delivering the address. The Association graduates were C. R. Boucher, B. W. Gillett, P. P. Haven,
F. H. Law, F. H. Marshall, and F. M. Pratt. After twenty-three years, Mr. Boucher is secretary of the Army Association at Fort Moultrie, S. c., and Mr. Gillett secre­The Firs t DeClli1e of tbe Tr.lrunr Scbool.
tary at Haverhill, Mass. Me. Pratt only recently retired from the secretaryship of the Toronto Association. From the outset, the plans and work of the School were cordially commended by Association workers. The
international secretaries' conference at Harrisburg, Pa.,
in 1886, heartily endorsed it. The International Com­mittee,
in their report to the San Francisco international convention in 1887, in referring to it said: "When we
met at Atlanta this School had not been organized . ... • Now, the number of pupils fitting themselves for the secretarial office is thirty-three. Already it has furnished
sixteen secretaries for this service. The system of in­struction
is constantly improving. The School is be­coming
more and more popular, and its usefulness to
our cause can hardly be estimated. It is peculiarly satis­factory to the committee that this enterprise as undertaken
is carried on, and is designed to be carried on as a private enterprise, controlled by its own trustees and faculty, and
not in any way dictated to or influenced by any organi­zation
representing the Associations. Its ho1d upon these societies and upon the young men who seek to serve them must be, therefore, a hold secured and maintained
by reason of its adaptation to the needs of the Associa­tions,
and because it keeps pace with these needs in the jnst~uction of its pupils." Resolutions were passed ex­pressing
hearty appreciation of the efforts of Mr. Reed, and commending the Association department of the School to the Associations for their support, and its training to young men seeking to prepare for the office
of general secretary or gymnasium instructor. It was
also suggested by some of the delegates at that convention ".to .....;-I·t-""
-
004 The Association Seminar IUld Spnnciteld Student.
that the time would probably come when the Associations
would want a school distinctively their own, also that an appropriate name, indicating the object, would be the
Young Men's Christian Association Training School. This name was SOOl1 after applied to the Association de­partment.
1\1 uch anxiety was caused early this year by an out­break of typhoid fever among the students, making it necessary to use the upper floor of the building as a hos­pital.
Ten were prostrated about the same time, some
of the cases being severe and protracted, but owing to the
unceasing care and skill of Dr. Herrick and several trained nurses all recovered. Gymnastics was announced as one of the subjects in
the course of 1885-86. With the completion of the new
gymnasium in March, 1887, George Poole,* a student in the first class, conducted the exercises. The two years
r following, Dr. Joseph T. Herrick taught a brief course in anatomy and physiology. In the spring of 1887 the development of a regular physical training department was begun by the calling to the faculty of Luther H.
,..,Gulick, then about completing a medical course in New
York City, and).Robert J. Roberts, who had been for
many years the popular director of the gymnasium of the
Boston Young Men's Christian Association. Dr. Gulick
came from one of the oldest and best known missionary
families. He saw so clearly the great future of physical training that he turned from the work of a medical mis­sionary to develop it. A summer school was held in July
"Dr. Poole has ~for many years physical director at the T wenty· third Street Branch Young Men's Christian Association, New York City. The First Oecade of the Tnllnlng School.
and August under the direction of the new specialists, largely for men already engaged in the work. The ideals
as set forth in the announcement of this session were so
unlike any ever before made that special attention is called to them: "The aim of the gymnasium department of. the School will be twofold : I., to put into the field
men of Christian character, whose object in going into
the work is to serve Christ; II., to see that these men shall be intelligent teachers, men who shall know what
to do, how to do it, and why it is to be done." Previous
to this the standard of qualifications for this office had been largely skill as acrobats and athletes. Indeed, it was whispered during those days that some who became
famous as pugilists and circus performers received a part of their training in the Association gymnasiums. The first course of study for gymnasium instructors covered
the history of gymnastics, Young Men's Christian Asso­ciation
gymnasium work, the gymnasium, methods of work-religious, scientific and practical. Under scientific
were included anatomy, physiology, hygiene, physical
diagnosis, prescription of exercise, anthropometry and
physics. This was supplemented by daily practical work in the School gymnasium under the direction of Mr. Roberts, and on the committees of the Armory Hill Young Men's Christian Association. The students of those days will recall the emphasis laid upon Mr. Roberts' formula for successful class work-that it should be lisafe, short, easy, beneficial and pleasing."
Third Veu. IS87~88.
With the opening of the third year in September, 1887, the School was entirely free from debt, but so mu ch c1iffi­SlO6 The Anodatl.,. Semlnu and Sprinctldd Student.
culty was experienced in ralsmg the current expenses,
now amounting to $12,500 annually, that Oliver C. Morse, assistant secretary of the New York State Young Men's
Christian Association, was called as financial secretary.
He was also associated with III r. Reed in the teaching of systematic Bible truth and ethics. The Rev. William Chauncey Langdon, D. D., who was
so active in the confederation of the American Associa­tions at the Buffalo Convention in 1854, was among the special lecturers of the year. His addresses proved a
vall1able contribution to Association history and were
published in the Year Book for 1888 as "The Early Story of the Confederation of the Young Men's Christian Asso­ciations."
Applications were made to the School this year for
ninety-seven men, but only twenty-five could be fur­nished.
Students were enrolled from Switzerland and
Armenia. The second Commencement exercises were held in
H ope Church June 1~, 1889, tbe address being delivered by Rev. Edwin F. See, who had recently become general secretary of the Brooklyn Young Men's Christian Asso­ciation.
The resolutions committee of the World's Conference,
held at Stockholm, Sweden, in August, 1888, commented upon the international and thol'o character of the Scbool,
and heartily commended it to young men looking forward
to the service of the Associations. A paper prepared by Dr. Gulick on "Means Employed by the Associations for
the Physical Development of Young ~,ren" was read at this conference, exciting much discussion regarding the The Flnt Decade of the Trajnlng School.
advanced steps proposed. Two of the delegates to this conference from Australia visited the School on their
way home and were enthusiastic over its prospects.
The editor of The Intercollegian~ referring to a visit about this time, said, "We never met a brighter, more earnest, dean-ell t set of students, nor felt more strongly
the growing dignity and value of the Association work
at large."
Fourth Ye.r, 1888..89.
Belfast, Ireland, was represented in the student body.
A one year's course was arranged for college graduates, covering Bible history, systematic Bible truth, exegesis, church history, and the special work of the department
entered.
The expenses ranged from $252 to $280.
The need of a text-book for the course in Association
methods was keenly felt from the beginning. In response to solicitation, a friend gave $1000 toward such a work. In 1886 arrangements were made with Henry
S. Ninde, secretary of the Association at Rome, N. Y., to begin the preparation of a manual to cover the history, organization and methods of
the Young Men's Christian Associations. A fter the
preparation of the manuscript it was very carefully revised by several leading Association men under
the direction of Erskine Uhl of New York. The first part was published by the International Committee in the fall of 1888, and used in the course that year. The labor
of editing the second part was so great that it was not
completed until 1891. While this manual was prepared 008
The A••oc.a.tlon Seminar and Sprlnlfleld Student.
primarily for the School usc, it was regarded as a large
contribution to the Association work in all lands.
Special lectures were given by the following delegates
to the international convention of Young l\[en's Christian
Associations at Philadelphia: Robert McCann, secretary at Bel fast, Ireland; E. Hofer of Zurich, Switzerland;
Robert Burn, secretary at Aldersgate St., London; and Ca rl Fries, national secretary of Sweden,
A photographic exhibit of the work of the School was
made at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, This was
later by request given to the Paris Young Men's Christian
Association.
R. J. Roberts resigned his place in the physical depart­ment in June, to take charge of the gymnasium of the
Utica, N. y,. Association.
At the third Commencement, June 11, the address was delivered by the Rev. W. H. P. Faunce. Prize essays were read by H. C. Thompson on "What kind of physical
exercise has proved most useful in our Association gym­nasiums from the physiological and practical standpoint?/J
and .by J. E. Canfield on "The adaptation of the Young
Men's Christian Association to all classes and conditions of young men." Nine secretarial and two physical stu­dents
were graduated, among the fanner being O. C. Colton, J. W. Cook and C. F. Powlison. The annual expense of $19,486 was paid, with a surplus on hand of $450.
Fifth Year, 1889-90.
Early in the year Mr. Reed resigned his pastorate in order to give his entire time to the presidency of the School. The First Decade of the Training School.
The educational requirements for admission were raised, which while somewhat redl1cing the number of
students, greatly improved the gracle. J. H. McCurdy and F. N. Seerley were among those registered. 'The physical course was enlarged in the history, liter­ature and philosophy of physical education, and in our
examining room the spygmograph and dynamomete r were
used for the first time. An urgent appeal was made for an athletic field and for equipment for aquatics, also {or a library of books on physical education. Some gi fts of
books were reported. Three student helpcrs-~ressrs. Kallenberg, Bel11ics and Prentiss-were associated with
Dr. Gulick.
A call for a secretary was received from Ballarat, Australia, offering a good salary and traveling expenses
to the field.
At the fourth Commencement exercises, June 10, Rev.
George B. Stewart of Harrisburg, Pa., delivered an address on "The Ministry of Laymen." H. D. Dick­son,
now one of the International staff, was among the
graduates. In the spring of 1889 plans were made for the enlarge­ment of the School building to about three times its ori­ginal
size, in order to meet the growing needs. It was
proposed to raise $125,000 for this purpose. The cur­rent
expenses, owing largely to the rapid extension of the physi

Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.